---

---

Asteria noted the cluckels were domesticated monstrous beast, which was a good sign for being able to tame or teach Mother rat, though it did arise the question of whether any non-monstrous beasts mundane beasts existed (she was sure she’d seen some regular small sized insects that wouldn’t be out of place on Earth but perhaps they’d had something unique to them as well). No, if the system mentioned Mundane creatures, they surely existed. Were they simply rarer? Or better at hiding? Or was it simply difficult to distinguish them from the Monstrous beasts seeing as this wasn’t Earth? But then again, the humans looked and acted just like the humans back home, even if these were primitive examples of her former species. Could Monster analysis work on them as well? She’d test it on the way back on as many of them as she was able.

For now, she had her finds to account for, the small hatchet being the most precious one, though the jar filled of what seemed like it might be monster parts was certainly intriguing, and the leather could be something she could try and fashion into clothing later on. As she heard the approaching footsteps, she stuffed the leather scroll into the jar alongside the antlers and eyeball already within, though it took a moment until she was able to fasten the lid back on. She then wrapped her tail tightly but carefully around the jar, and gently laid it partly on her back, so carrying it would be easier. She picked up the hatched by the handle with her mouth, slotting it carefully in between her teeth. Asteria finally followed Ed as swiftly and quietly as she could to the nearest hiding spot. On the way back to their temporary base, she would take the time to observe the humans, using Monster Analysis on any of them, but also trying to get a closer look at their ritual – it was possible they were using actual magic, after all.

Obtained Loot!
Flint and Striker x1
Greatclub x1
Hand Hatchet x1
Clay Jar x1
Tanned Leather x1
??? Eye x1
??? Horn x1

The rats chose to take everything with them, but at least they made the choice quickly. With all this weight they couldn't move very fast at all, and were slowed even further by the need for Stealth. However, it seemed they might make it yet...

Until Asteria paused for a moment.

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Elder Human Female, Magic User(?)---
Humans are not technically considered Monsters. They are of the Enlightened Races, highly evolved creatures considered truly sentient, though this may depend on definition. Nonetheless they are an advanced race with a fully functioning civilization, a varied history, and distinct cultures. This one is an elder, and appears to be performing some activity of magical or religious significance...WARNING! VERY DANGEROUS!

The pudgy woman had completed her walk around the packed-earth circle, and stopped her chanting. She stooped down at one of the little shrines, and there must have been a striker or flint or something because she soon rose with a burning wick made from oiled rope. Using this, she light a small opening at the top of the shrine. As smoke slowly curled into the air, she began to repeat her circling, with new lines of chanting...

"Hey, what was that?"

Time to go. The Rats, with their bounty in tow, Muffled their way into the long grass...

"What was what?"

"Thought I saw something moving over near that shed."

"Moving as in, something we actually need to worry about, or a loose Cluckel? Don't freak out just cause you've been up all night."

"Well I don't know then! Go check it out."

"You saw it, you check it out."

By the time the human guard approached the shed, the rats were a good distance away. He entered, and of course not being the one who owned the shed or put the items there, he didn't have any idea of what might be missing or out of place. So he turned and began to leave...but then?

The rats didn't have the time nor the inclination to turn back and look...or did they? Would they just continue on and hope they hadn't been spotted, or turn back and risk discovery to satisfy their curiosity? By this point they were far enough away that their Beast Senses weren't picking up any more voices, or footsteps...

They did, however, pick up the sound of something up ahead crashing through the grass, around their camp. And a shrill squeak.

---

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Flak Beetle---
An aggressive insectoid that emerges after a Lamp Worm molts, known for the glowing sac hidden under its shell. The shell hides a gland in the bug's thorax that, similar to a firefly, contains a substance that produces light but is also highly flammable when exposed to open air. Unlike the firefly, the Flak Beetle can use this substance as a weapon, firing it with explosive force from either end of its body. The amount of fluid used, and the amount of pressure it is under, affects the strength of the blast. It also has strong jaws, capable of cutting through leather given enough time. Despite its tendency to viciously attack almost anything, it only eats plants.
---Analysis Complete!---

Skill Gain: Mana Vision I (1.0)!
Concentrate MP in your eyes to see the fluctuations of Mana. The level of detail and other qualities of your Mana Vision depend not only on the Rank of this Skill, but also on your physical sense of sight. Depending on the strength of your concentration, having a lesser sense of vision may also consume Stamina when using this Skill. At your current Rank, you can only see strange fluctations of magic energies and shapes that are not easily understood...

Skill Gain: Point Strike I (1.0)!
With a discerning eye, take aim at an oppenent's weak point and concentrate your own power into a single point of attack. Slightly increase the power of any attack, and gain an increased chance for a Critical Hit. Using this Skill in conjunction with other attack Skills, however, may cause it to lose effectiveness.

Skill Gain: Muffle I (1.0)!
This skill grants you the ability to be just a little bit better at being stealthy, with a focus on reducing the sound of your movements.

You are attempting to Craft without the requisite Skill.
Your crafted items are heavily degraded.
Processing Items: Sharp Stone + Hard Stone
Sharp Stone's cutting capacity has increased, but its durability has heavily decreased!
Hard Stone was destroyed in the processing!

Skill Rank Up: Spiritual Awareness I (1.75) > II (2.05)!
Your awareness of the duality of this world grows. -You are Undead, which changes the nature of this Skill. Under these conditions, at this Rank you can expend MP to detect the influence of other Spirits-.

Skill Gain: Mana Sense I (1.0) > (1.25)!
You have sharpened your mental and spiritual senses! By focusing upon a single creature or object, you will be able to sense its magical nature in some fashion. Different creatures may perceive this in different ways--some may see a colored aura, others may catch unique scents, etc. This is not an Analysis skill, though it may synergize with some of them. The range of this skill is limited to that of your other physical senses, though in some cases a mana signature may become easier or more difficult to detect depending on factors such as strength, amount, etc. By touching an object or creature, even if they are somehow suppressing their magical power, you have a chance to learn whether or not magic is present. At this rank you must activate this skill in order for it to take effect. While active it will consume MP.

Skill Gain: Shield I (1.0) > 1.05)!
The most basic of defensive support spells. An aura effect reduces incoming damage, but no physical barrier or counteractive forces are generated. Only natural resistances to damage are reinforced. Can be cast on objects.

You used Shield I on yourself! Defenses increased!

You used Mana Sense I!
---??? Tree---
You feel a growing, natural Mana and a rigid, woody Mana, and it is fairly strong at least compared to your own MP.
---Atmosphere---
You feel a constant fluctuation of an amalgamation of Mana. It is vast, but you cannot reach even a portion of a portion of it--what you feel is less than a particle within the universe.
---Sunlight---
You feel a faint, wispy, light Mana. It burns you, it rejects your being.
---Shadows---
You feel an empty, void Mana, but it really isn't Mana. Yet as a vacuum is a lack of matter and still creates forces within spatial existence, this Mana applies the "force of lacking."
---Earth---
You feel a solid, heavy, earthen Mana. It tends to remain, not move, to collect and to withstand. It is vast, but you cannot delve into its depths. What you feel is less than a pebble upon a mountain.

You used Mana Drain I!

You attempted to use Monster Analysis. Attempt Failed. Monster Analysis is currently Locked.

Danny had to search for a bit, but was able to dig up a Sharp Stone and Hard Stone in their surroundings after several minutes. Unfortunately, between a lack of coordination and strength, his attempts to hone the edge of the Sharp Stone were less fruitful. The Hard Stone cracked, crumbled, and finally broke apart into little more than dust and gravel bits, and while a few flakes broke away from the Sharp Stone, it also didn't have much of a handhold left either. Plus, the blade was actually so razor-thin as to be more fragile than glass. This wasn't obsidian either, so it wasn't like he had a self-sharpening scapel...just a very sharp, very brittle, chunk of rock that likely wouldn't last too long.

Using Lesser Force II, the Poltergeist had a little more luck than just using his bare hands. Still, he couldn't quite get the force necessary to cut into the Flak Beetle's shell. He was able to cut out its exposed underbelly, opening it up so that the rest of it could be scooped out, but if he wanted to break apart the actual shell or break off the bug's mandibles, he would need to figure out another method.

Jason's experiments with his new abilities were enlightening in some respects, as he learned more about the Mana around him. When he cast Shield, the pain indeed seemed to go away...but he was still no more visible to Danny than before as of yet, and he could feel that the Shield spell was being whittled away at a slow, yet constant rate. Casting it had also cost him more MP of course...as did every usage of his Mana Sense. Combined with the new shield, that was six spells he had cast in rapid succession. The system notified him that his Mana Overflow had ceased, and his Mana Density was back to a "normal" level, whatever that meant...and he could feel that he had spent a large chunk of his energy, though not quite enough for the System to get him a Low MP warning. Staying still and using Mana Drain...wasn't as effective as he had hoped it would be either. Using Mana Drain seemed to be like trying to draw Mana into himself via a straw. On a closed container of sorts, like another Monster whose body contained its magical energy, it was quite useful. On the ambient energy all around him, however, it was like trying to use that same straw to draw water out of a cloud. There was a difference between Mana Drain and Meditate, then, and they couldn't be used at the same time...but, if he Meditated again, would he lose sight of Danny like before?

As Danny went about harvesting the Flak Beetle, however, something rustled in the bushes. Undaunted by the presence of the Poltergeist, a large creature suddenly bounded out of the underbrush and croaked. A frog. However, no bull toad on Earth could ever reach this size--the creature's dull blue and gray speckled coloration gave it the appearance of a stone, and it was big enough to pass for one too. It was probably the size of a medium dog, but much, much fatter and stockier. Its enormous legs still seemed to possess enough power for it to hop. Another odd feature was that it had a tail--a stubby one, but a tail nonetheless.

The frog looked at Danny, and blinked one eye at a time with three different eyelids. It then tilted its head to look at the beetle, and repeated the blinks but in the opposite order. Its throat sac bulged, and became a dark purple color.

Ardur The Mighty Hipixie

Lots of Food > time to plan /// Adventuring day 5 // Morning / Location - Forests edge

He watched the smoke rise and drift to the south. Its nice aroma filled the air around them and with a deep breath, he sighed with a smile on his face. To finish his little ritual he buried what was left of the charred flesh in a small hole then turned to rejoin the others. Seemingly not caring about his blood stained arms, “well I’m not thirsty anymore.”

He returned to where he had started cutting through the animal and picked up the mandible examining it closely and thinking. Looking to the big slime with a smile remembering she had asked him a question earlier. “Oh when I touched Asura I healed him. Like when I healed you after you were attacked by that mean slime in the cave.” Tearing a small strip of meat from the rib cage, Ardur began to eat while still looking over the mandible and then at the bones he could see in the exposed chest cavity.

The cogs in his head were churning as he remembered some of the ideas he had gotten while in the cave. Using Shield I as a base, the high pixie concentrated the effects of the spell into his right hand that held the mandible and then tried to extend it onto the part of the bug itself. As if he had done before with using shield and fireball to have the offensive spell feed off the defensive one. Once he felt he was close enough to what he was trying to do with it, Ardur then began to focus mana into the tool he held. He was not trying to make a blade but trying to reinforce the mandible to be sharper and stronger.

He tried this approach for a few minutes before stopping to continue eating. It definitely was an interesting thought but he felt he was trying to use a combination of spells when he only knew the one. Still, just another thing to try again later if he ever wanted to try to wield weapons. A better skill to do once Steve was full and rested would be a speed and agility test. Running back and forth while occasionally dodging the web spit of his friend seemed like a good idea for later. However, right now he figured the most important thing he could do was try to work out with the red slime where they wanted to go from here.

Tearing off another chunk of meat and talking with a half full mouth Ardur spoke towards his friend. “So I feel I should bring this up just so we are on the same page with things. I do not care if you do or do not want to do the whole worship thing, that is on you, just do not pray to the demon king. He basically said he would screw us up if we did it again.” Pausing for a moment to swallow his food before continuing. “So what should be our next step?... other than trying to posses a deer skull, honestly that’s kind of creepy but at least you have horns now.” Examining the friendly slim try to do what he could with the skull was both eerie and captivating in how the slime body seemed to move through the rest of the skull.

“I personally wouldn’t mind trying to do some training, maybe work on tactics of some sort, then try to make what’s left of this beetle exoskeleton into armor maybe even use one of the bigger leg bones of this deer as a club.” Ardur continued eating occasionally glancing over to the larger slime and watching how its internal acidity dissolved and processed the deer meat. He was curious to see if she was able to dissolve the bones as well. “Still, I don’t think the burrow is a good shelter for us and I vote we try to move south to find something more fitting. That and I did over hear the goblins say something about a farm near here. If that is true, it is likely going to be a target, and then comes the next decision." pausing to chew his food. "Do we help the farm? The goblins? Maybe just wait and scavenge what we can from around the area? Or make them an ally or an enemy if the goblins don’t show up?” he was curious to see what the quiet Slime’s choices would be. They really had not had any down time to talk and regroup their thoughts and choices, now was likely the best time for it.

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu

Asura subconsciously snatched the liver up within his gelatinous body to join the brain, eyeballs, and tongue of the bowhorn deer. "You'll need water sooner rather than later. Blood doesn't have enough water in it to sustain you for long." Asura stated, he was getting his liquids from eating everything. Plants were essentially crunchy water with various flavors after all. While the red slime toyed with the skull Ardur explained what he had done to Mother Slime.

Ardur started talking, which got the slime to make a red eyeball form on his body to show he was paying attention despite making the skull a Shell apparently. "Lucky him, I don't do praying or religion. You can do what you want if you're the religious sort." He said as the System told him the effects of the deer head had as a shell. "So, apparently I can have a shell like a hermit crab. But they have effects even unbonded. I'm tougher, but slower, which is a given considering slimes are not a strength based monster." He said to Ardur.

While he spoke he touched Mother Slime, letting her know in very basic mental speech what he had accomplished. It might help her considering she just had some major Blunt Resistance. But we'd need to find or make a suitably sized vessel if you chose to do this... He thought to her as he tried to accelerate his bonding with the skull. He checked every nook and cranny, even tried moving the jaw. First he just used himself, controlling what was hidden under the furred skin, to make the jaw open and close. If that seemed to work he'd start testing the muscle fibers to see if he could do it that way. He'd find which was easier eventually.

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

You are attempting to Craft without the requisite Skill.
Your crafted items are heavily degraded.
Processing Items: Sharp Stone + Hard Stone
Sharp Stone's cutting capacity has increased, but its durability has heavily decreased!
Hard Stone was destroyed in the processing!

Okay, not as good as he had hoped but not too terrible given it was both his first time trying to craft something and his material, Danny was sure getting the actual skill would be worthwhile. For now though he had other things to do, he was curious to see if Mana Vision would let him see Jason but getting food was at the top of his list.

Unfortunately even with the Sharp Stone he couldn't cut the exoskeleton. He was just about to try using the stone in combination with Point Strike despite that meaning he was likely to break it when he heard something that sounded like croaking.

Normally he would have ignored the strange frog, but with it's throat sack bulging and chancing color the Poltergeist was pretty sure it was about to attack. Wanting to beat it to the punch and trusting Jason to kill it easily if necessary Danny decided to forgo his usual form of attack. Instead of preparing a mana orb or aqua sphere he tried to use Point Strike I aimed at it's eyes while running towards it ready to dodge whatever it spat out. If he managed to get close enough without being attacked he would try to punch it using the momentum of his run for extra damage.

---

@Zeroth@Duthguy

Though his little stunt had cost him quite a bit of his mana despite the fact he had meditated all night, it actually provided quite a bit of information. It even gave Jason an idea of which mana types would be more suitable for him to wield in his current state due to how in depth the explanation provided to him was. The tidbit about shadow mana was quite interesting, a "force of lacking" sounded like something that he could make good use of. Before he could ponder a way to regenerate his mana without losing sight of Danny, a rustling off in the distance caught Jason's attention. Its soul was a dull, gray light, but bigger than the soul of the dire rat, or the slime, and it was getting closer. Without a second thought, Jason immediately rushed the strange tailed frog creature just as it emerged from the undergrowth. By the time it was filling its throat pouch with what Jason could only assume was poison, he was already upon it! Quickly phasing a pair of pseudopods into its eyes and deactivateing [Transparency] as an attempt to blind it! Without missing a beat, he immediately went straight for its soul! That mana would be HIS!

---

Ed was too focused on sneaking away from the scene of the crime to even register that he could understand the villagers language. All he focused on right now was keeping out of sight and out of mind. 'We're gonna make it. We're gonna make it.' the ratman repeated in his head over and over as they finally pushed through the tall grass. He couldn't believe it, not only had they managed to infiltrate the village and gain some information, they also managed to find some quality loot. It seemed like things were looking up for them. He can only imagine what possibilities their haul opened up for them, most especially the great club.

That is until he heard something crashing in the grass ahead accompanied by a shrill squeak. At first, Ed stopped in shock as he was abruptly brought back to reality. Then in a fraction of a second he realized what was happening. 'Mother Rat! The Den!' Ed then hastened his pace through the grass, hoping that he wasn't too late to save the elder dire rat from whatever attacked her and kill the assailant dumb enough to do it.

"Wut heel?" Momma Slime started to ask, but Ardur was already experimenting with the mandible of the Flak Beetle. When he cast his Shield I spell on the object, the aura surrounded it just like it normally would any other target. But as he focused, the aura seemed to compress until it was only skin-thin, yet highly concentrated around the mandible...and as he envisioned the mandible's structure growing harder, its edge sharper, the energy of the shield seemed to just...sink into the black, chitinous matter. But other than that, he couldn't really tell if it had made any other difference in the mandible's cutting ability...

While he chewed on various pieces of meat he could strip from their kill, however, the System informed him that he was, somehow, at least learning something.

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

Asura reached out with a stretched tendril to relay new information to Momma Slime, who gurgled thoughtfully in response before she rolled over towards the beheaded body of the deer. Steve had succeeded in liquifying one of the front legs enough that she had now taken it off completely and wrapped it in a bundle of webbing. She was beginning the process on the other front leg, though she couldn't wrap it as far up because the body was turned on that side. As Momma Slime rolled up to the corpse, the spider stopped to watch warily.

With a "schlurp," Momma Slime tried to attach herself to the neck stump. Her blue body soon turned purple as she began draining the Bowhorn Deer of all its blood. Steve made a slight hissing noise, then ran over to Ardur. With her furry forelimbs she began to tap on his leg, pointing with the others at what Momma Slime was doing, then indicating the other leg she hadn't yet been able to separate from the body.

Meanwhile, Asura continued to try and improve his Slime Shell. He used his own body first, attaching to the jawbone underneath all of the flesh, and found he was able to work the hinge simply enough. It took a concentrated effort, enough so that he probably couldn't move or fight while doing this, but he was definitely able to move the jaw in a simplified up and down, open-close motion. However, when he began testing the muscle fibers he found them...difficult. For one thing, they seemed like they were hard to stick to for some reason. Maybe it was the blood, fats, and natural oils of the flesh. For another thing, there were too many of them. He couldn't pull on just one and make the whole thing work, the muscle had to work together as a single mass. And lastly, he just didn't have much room. Even with better shapeshifting it was hard to get between densely packed fibers in order to manipulate them--like not being able to reach a piece of machinery you were working on because your fingers were too fat. Compared to the solid jawbone, which he could adhere himself to almost like glue, trying to use the muscle fiber seemed inefficient...

---

Normally, Danny wouldn't have stood a chance against this larger creature in physical combat. However, unlike the Wisps in the cave, he had Transformed into a Poltergeist--and compared to a "natural" Poltergeist, he had the Faster skill. His dash surprised the frog, and as he used Point Strike to drive his sharpened sliver of stone right into its eye the attack took on a crackling red glow! In a spray of dark blood he plunged the sharp stone, and his fist, deep into the frog's eye! Its mouth opened on reflex, but it hadn't finished preparing its attack in time and the liquid poison dribbled down its front to burn away the grass beneath their feet. An instant later, Jason shoved invisible appendages into its eyes as well. When he released his Transparency ability--which was accompanied by a LOW MP Warning--the recoil caused him a slight pain but obviously did much more to the huge frog. Being punched in the eye from inside one's own body had to be a whole new level of pain, especially if one of the eyes you're being punched in has already been carved out by a jagged, sharp rock.

Blood spattered the Poltergeist's tiny fist, and the frog went down on its back. It thrashed blindly, one eye completely gone and the other currently damaged. Its croaks became much higher in pitch, almost pitiable. Jason seized on its soul, and its thrashing grew more intense.

Dark, warm, tight, too tight, had to break free. Eggshell. Danger, scatter! Sand, hide! Prey, bite! Wait. Prey poisoned. Prey paralyzed. Feed. Eat. Hunt. Find shelter. Find water. Find mate. More eat. More hunt. Defend territory. Stronger. Grow. Change. New form. Not enough food in cave. Into the forest. Find food. Find shelter. Find water. Find mate. More eating, more hunting. Day after day...I am Jason.

But Jason didn't find this target so easy to devour as his others, even if he resisted the pull of its personality. It was too strong, too healthy--he was taking bites out of it, but the creature now flopped back over onto its belly and got its legs under it. It started to turn towards Danny, once again spitting out a huge glob of purple acid at the tiny magical monster--!

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

Unaware of the trouble Jason was having with the frog Danny wasn't too surprised when the frog flipped over on it's back after a single stab to one of it's eyes, He almost considered the fight over when it got back up and prepared another attack.

of course he didn't want to get his by what was either acid or some kinda poison strong enough to kill grass by touching it so he circled the amphibian as fast as he could hoping to get behind it. Whether he succeed on evading the hit or not Danny felt that any creature with poison was too dangerous not to take out as fast as possible.

So despite the no doubt high hit to mana reserves he went with what he believed the strongest attack available to him Mana Orb II and just tor try to make it even more powerful he boosted it with his incomplete chant skill. "This may be the most basic offensive spell I know but it shouldn't be underestimated. Mana Orb Deluxe!" He just hoped that not specifying the rank of the spell didn't matter and that he had enough MP not to end up with Mana Burn or whatever the first stage of that debuff was called.

---

---

Damnit, damnit, damnit! The moment she stopped to check on the humans brought some of them closer. Thankfully, the bickering between the duo saved the rats enough time to move away, and Asteria breathed a sigh of relief. Using Monster Analysis on a human had definitely been profitable, because it revealed that humans were likely not the only sentient ones in this world. What other fantastical beings would there be? Demons for sure, based on the Demon King. That Water spirit in the cave she’d donated part of her mana to seemed sentient as well though the information on it had been too garbled to be sure. It was possible there were stereotypical creatures such as elves or dwarves as well. Perhaps something even more unlikely, though until such beings were immediately relevant, there wasn’t much of a point considering the possibility. The only ones nearby were these primitive humans, but even they might be useful to observe and try to learn crafting or magic from. Some other time, however.

The sound of commotion followed by Mother rat’s alarmed squeak alerted Asteria to the need to get back to their den asap, though carrying all she did hindered all attempts at running. Regardless, Asteria pushed on, straining all muscles to get where she wanted faster, even if by only a second. Surely, Mother rat would be able to fend off whatever her assailant was until they arrived. She had to! They had to get there, quicker, quicker! To hell if she’d let some random predator kill off one of their precious allies! Especially not now that she had the means to train Mother rat further.

---

@Zeroth@Duthguy

As Jason fought off the incursion of the strange amphibian's personality, he recognized that this was an evolved form of fanged lizard, one that had started off in the cave. Unless Jason was mistaken, this meant that the frog was at least level 5! It would definitely be worth some good XP, and he'd definitely have to check how far hed progressed toward level 9 after the fight. But for now, there was a far more pressing concern-- the frog was still alive, and its soul was resisting him!!!

As he saw Danny charging a mana sphere, the ecto slime swirled around to the other side of the frog's body as to avoid getting hit on accident. "If you're not going to focus on me..." he growled at the frog as he pressed his own personality into his prey, "YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING REGRET IT!!!"

Activating [Transparency], Jason stretched a single, long pseudopod deep into the frog, reaching all the way to the core of it's soul! Continuing to use [Mana Drain], Jason hoped to break past whatever resistance it had like the dire rat in the cave-- Or drag it to that dark plane where he had fought against Teef.

---

"Aw yeah, got a level up!" Digbie called out as he got back up to his feet, looking at the mass of mess going on over by where Torrent was with that slime. For a moment, he considered going over to try and harvest some of it, but he shrugged it off. Sacred Ground could probably grow plants quicker, and if not, then Digbie could probably figure out a way with some help from his friends.

He looked over the numbers in his head, all of the numbers, powers, and abilities that he's gained across the few days he'd been a Goblin. He already knew he wanted Minor Heal finally, so he invested points into it the rest of the way so he could start using it alone. Moving forward, he assumed Guidance was something he was using already, with him trying to figure out how to find magic and such, so he dropped the next two points into that. Lastly, he looked at the rest of his list, dropping a little bit of power into Dual Cast so he could use Sacred Ground and other spells together at the same time, making them a little stronger.

For his first actions with his new two abilities, he looked up at the flower on his head and immediately cast Minor Heal on it. He wanted it back to full luster quickly. Somehow it evolved with him, and it was the one little bit of purity that he could still have. As he did so, he decided to analyze it with Plant, Magic, and Material Analyses so he could get a check on it's state. He did kinda torch it with a Mana Orb, and he wanted to get it back to it's previous state.

While he checked everything, he also looked down at himself to see what he could learn, using Monster and Magic Analyses on himself to learn what he could. He was fairly certain he couldn't learn anything new, but still he didn't have much to lose by doing it, if at all.

Lastly, he used Guidance, only to try and learn how to purge the Taboo from his body. Whatever deity answered to him, he'd like to know, but for the time being he just asked the question in his mind "Whoever's listening to my thoughts, is there any way to get the Taboo out of me?"

He looked back towards his party after all was said and done. "So what've you guys been up to in my absence, outside of this giant orange slime causing trouble."

---

Ardur The Mighty Hipixie

time to plan > Hungry Hungry Hippo /// Adventuring day 5 // Morning / Location - Forests edge

He watched closely as his friend continued to try to adhere, himself to the skull while the big slime lingered nearby, “Heal is magic I can use, it makes you feel better when you’re hurt.” Trying to do as Asura suggested and talk to the large slime like a small child. Asura did not seem to off put by the religious stuff but ultimately Ardur was doing it just to see how it worked in this realm. However, the slime still did not seem to want to talk about what he wanted to do or go. To Ardur this his friend seemed to be the type to just go with the flow and roll with the punches. The slimes interpretation as to why he was doing what he was doing to the skull in the first place was also interesting. Watching the two slimes talk to each other with their touch telepathy was curious and Ardur could only wonder at what was said before receiving his answer.

Seeing the larger of the two slimes attach itself to the neck of the beast was interesting to watch. The sudden appearance of a slightly agitated Steve grabbed his attention for a moment as the spider pointed and danced about near the front leg of the deer. Seeing that Mother slime was likely to devour the rest of the deer without intervention the pixie picked up the mandible and moved to the other side of the carcass. “Mother slime wait, let me cut off these legs for us and you can have the rest. This rib cage and spine might be a good shell for you.”

There was still plenty of meat and food to go around, but he really wanted that back leg to use the sinew to strap that beetle exoskeleton together. He was not expecting a lot from it but it was what these two slimes were attempting as well. Taking the now hopefully reinforced mandible, Ardur began to cut along the skin and muscle until he could cut and pop the legs off the rest of the body and move them out of the way of the large slime. It was slow going but quicker than what he could do without it. Making sure to put the front leg by Steve’s other leg and pulling the larger back leg over near the dead beetle so that he could start cutting the tendons and muscle free from the bone.

@Zeroth
@Kazemitsu

---

Torrent shook her head slightly as she watched the slime dissolve before turning around to walk slowly back towards the others in time for Ash to scold her. She huffed, preparing to deny the accusations, before she stopped.

"You know what, you're right. But it's kinda all I know how to do, even from before all this," she said softly. "I don't even know how old I am."

She moved closer to the loot pile, thinking, while Oberon asked if everyone was okay. She shrugged as best she could before Digbie asked his question.

"Found a plant made of meat. Tried to burn it cause it was alive. Got into a fight, tried outsmarting it. Kept burning it. Ended up caught and then I....exploded. And it died. I have some parts from it we can eat and Ash can use. Can't carry much else, though."

Skill Rank Up: Lesser Flight II (2.65) > Lesser Flight III (3.05)!
Stamina consumption decreased. Flight speed increased. Carrying capacity increased.

Skill Gain: Faster I (1.0)!
Your base physical speed is increased! By gaining the skills Harder, Better, and Stronger, Skill Synergy will occur and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.

Skill Gain: Minor Heal I (1.0)!
The most basic of healing spells. In most cases, only surface level wounds are affected. Cannot cure diseases. May even accelerate certain conditions not healed by the body's natural recovery. Cast upon a single target within eyesight.

Skill Gain: Guidance I (1.0)!
Your pleas have been heard. Offer up a portion of your MP in prayer, and gain a chance to receive supernatural guidance. The effectiveness of the teachings depends on your faith--and your ability to read the signs. Does rustling grass along the path show your way, or reveal danger? Was that a whispered voice, or just the wind? Your faith will shape your journey. The better your relation with a particular deity, the more likely you are to receive their guidance.

You used Plant Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I! You used Material Analysis I!
---Blessed White Yill Flower---
The White Yill is a species of yill flower, a common variety of blooming flowers that grow in many habitats. While often considered pleasing to look at, it doesn't have much use. It is perennial, and its seeds ripen towards the end of summer. It normally has no magical properties to speak of, but does have a higher capacity than other plants to absorb mana. Thus it can easily be made to conduct mana or take on magic properties, so Yill flowers sometimes change into other Magical Plants depending on their environments. This one has been Blessed. It may ward against misfortune or provide needed guidance to those in need of forgiveness. This White Yill has been given a small amount of MP with Healing properties. This White Yill has been given a small amount of neutral MP. It has taken on a Positive Mana charge, and may be useful as a component in Crafting, Alchemy, or other processes. It is Organic, Fibrous, Weak, Edible, Non-toxic, and Low in Nutrition.

You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis I!
---Self---
You are Digbie. You are aware of your own properties and capabilities. There are currently no unusual status effects or other anomalies you are aware of. Your health seems fine.
---Analysis Complete!---

With everyone present, it was easy to gather up all the materials Ash had dissected from the Rubber Frog and head back towards the campsite. Between the Pygmy Drake and Lesserwurm's successful hunts, and what little was left of their forage from the previous day, they had enough food to suit them for now. If they wanted to cook or prepare it in more detail, however, that might take a bit of setup. They had the stream for clean water, or at least drinkable water, and once they were together as a group again it seemed like most creatures would give them a wide berth.

Oberon's new skills ticked over, as did Digbie's. The Demiblin used his analysis on the flower in his hair, as well as his new Minor Heal spell. The White Yill seemed to perk up, though it didn't grow back any of its old petals or really change. It just looked fresher, and less dried out. Digbie's other attempt at analysis didn't really tell him anything, although from the wording maybe it would have told him something under different circumstances. As he prayed in his mind...He heard nothing. No voice, no vision like before in the cave. Just the sound of his friends tramping through the woods, and the occasional easterly breeze rustling the leaves.

Once again, the group had completed their objectives for the moment. With new supplies, their camp was safe and secure. It was still early in the afternoon, somewhere between one and two o'clock perhaps if they could judge by the position of the sun. They had quite a few hours to kill until evening, and Rags Nar wasn't supposed to come back with his cronies until the next day...

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Despite the weight they carried, the Rats pushed themselves. Harder, faster, adrenaline pumping through their veins, their paws pounded the earth. Mother Rat's squeal sounded out again, and now they could hear sharp clicking and scraping...

Skill Gain: Overwork I (1.0)!
Push through, break the limit, and--probably need a nap later. Expend Stamina to increase physical abilities. At this Rank, skill auto-cancels when Stamina is empty.

As the two rodents burst through the grass, they saw three more enormous insects engaged in battle with their packmate. Two of them looked the same as the creature they encountered the previous afternoon--the Myrminor Scout. The third, however, was slightly larger and darker in color. Its chitinous armor was thicker, bulkier, and its first set of legs had discernable claws at their tips that looked strong enough for gripping.

Mother Rat was caught in the middle of the two scouts as they worried her from either side, but despite their positioning she was more agile. As one snapped at her, she leaped up and over its head, coming down on its back before scampering and leaping away. But there was blood on one of her rear legs, and in the thick mane of fur around her neck. One of the Myrminor Scouts had a single leg that was broken, bent at a wrong angle. The other had some scratches around its head, but there was blood and fur on its mandibles. The bigger one didn't seem hurt thus far--but after hanging back for a moment, it now lunged forward as Mother Rat hit the ground, and grabbed at her with its forelegs. She fought back with her front paws, rearing up on her hind legs and swiping at the insect's limbs to keep them from getting a grip on her--but with its bigger body it could easily bull forward and knock her over--!

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"Mana Orb Deluxe!" Danny's words brought forth a bright light right in front of him. As the Mana Orb formed, a halo formed around it as well, like a miniature model of Saturn and its rings. With this short but partially effective chant, he blasted the frog with all his might! The crackling blast drove the creature back into a tree, hard, but Jason managed to keep his hold on it. As it took damage from the spell, Jason would notice the gray light of its soul shrinking significantly in size, leaving behind that strange bubble again. The bubble was the size the soul had originally been, but between Jason feeding off of it and Danny reducing its HP, the gray flame was dying.

You have no MP remaining.

Jason used Transparency first, getting a good grip on the amphibian's soul. When he began using Mana Drain, the creature thrashed as if it were having a seizure, and once more its memories flooded the Ectoslime. An animal's memories were like living one's life on autopilot--the kind of monotony that came with a 9 to 5 office job, waking up, eating, working, commuting, sleeping, day in and day out with no social life, no family, no values. Joy came from physical sensation, from eating and being warm and mating. The time frame he experienced could confuse Jason, could cloud his mind, but he knew he was a person and he knew he had a personality and goals and distinct memories.

Your MP is Full.
Your enemy has no MP remaining. Mana Drain canceled.

The frog was still alive, but its soul flickered and smoldered now. It began trying to pull itself away from Danny, barely able to work its limbs as it croaked pitiably...

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The scene played out in front of him as if it were going in slow motion as the immature ratman had finally burst through the tall grass before the den. Three gigantic flying bugs, similar to the one they had slain yesterday, had cornered Mother Rat and seemed to be getting ready to kill the elder dire rat. The meaner looking of the trio had already made that clear enough as it bull-rushed Mother Rat just as she landed from her evasive maneuver against one of the smaller ones. The situation seemed grim and it appeared that Mother Rat would be the first to fall. Such is the cycle of life here in this world...

'Bullshit.'

Ed spat out the flint and striker from his mouth as the immature ratman bellows out a savage and bestial roar to his foes. Grasping the four foot long greatclub, Ed prepares to attack the big one. He planned on hitting this thing so hard that the only thing left of it afterwards would be chunky blue stains on the tall grass and dirt. So Ed focused everything he had to offer into this one hit of his greatclub. Absolutely everything. Forgoing his own safety just to ensure that Mother Rat would be saved. He placed his whole body weight behind the swing, letting his already naturally enhanced physical abilities be combined with the passive skills of [Harder],[Faster], and [Stronger]. The System detects his desires and immense killing intent towards the large Myrminor and activates the following skills in response: [Beast Sense II] to enhance his ability to keep track of his target, [Rabid Fit I] to amplify his raw strength and severity of damage he could do, [Smash I] to enhance the already powerful swing even further, and the new skill [Overwork] to ensure that he was more than capable of at least swinging the massive weapon once as well as heightening his physical abilities even further than normal. Hell, even his whole mana reserve was crammed into that strike, even if as of now it wouldn't do much of a significant effect. All this occurring less than a second.

He knew what happens if he hesitates, doesn't try hard enough, or lets fear get the better of him...he learned that lesson well enough from how he died in his past life and Jason's death. Never again, not at least if he could do something to stop it. He would go beyond his 100% to protect his friends. With ferocity and intensity rivaling of a vindictive god, Ed swings the greatclub straight at the large Myrminor.

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Immediately upon seeing Mother rat being attacked by three ants, Asteria dropped the hatchet and the jar on the ground, and used Monster Analysis on all three insects. If there was a time to learn of a convenient weakness of these guys, it was now. However, while she’d taken a moment to consider the situation and her approach, Ed was already using all he had to attack the larger ant with his club. Deciding to let him handle that for the moment, Asteria darted into the hole they’d previously dug out, grabbed the Bloodingfly stinger with her tail, wrapping it tightly in its grip, then snuck to one of the smaller insect still focused on the Mother, and proceeded to strike with the stinger in a flurry of thrusts. With her front paws, she grabbed the Myrminor Scout, attempting to grapple and hold it down. All the while, she swished her tail-stinger in swift jabs at the Scout. Because its description had mentioned them possessing mana, she also used Mana Sense and Mana Drain while she held onto it.

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@Zeroth@Duthguy

With a final flex of his will, Jason ripped the last vestige of the frog's soul from its body, and ending its life. Draining the frog had thankfully been enough to return him to full mana, and the last morsel had pushed him just barely over the top. With that done and over with, Jason floated back over into the shade of the log, and began to work on his next big project-- the skill, [Possession].

First Jason went over what he knew in his head; there was a spot in each living creature where a soul would be housed, it is difficult for an undead soul to stay inside a body that already houses a soul, and that by 'locking' a portion of one's mana pool, an enchantment stabilizing the connection can be created. Though he hadn't had much time to examine the high-level spirit, Undine was by far the best example of [Possession] he had seen thus far, and was subsequently going to attempt mimicking her as far as ideas for methodology went. First, Jason began to wiggle and squirm his way into the corpse of the slime; using [Transparency] only if he needed to. Carefully, he worked to locate the pocket he had ripped the slime's soul out of the night before. Then slowly pushing himself into it, Jason would cast [Shield] on the inside of the dead slime, attempting to seal himself in. If successful in sealing himself within the dead monster, the ecto slime would attempt to then suffuse the body with his spiritual being, to become like blood beneath a delicate skin just like Undine did with that blade..... To make this body his own.

While Asura worked with the skull, thinking over his experiences with it, he watched the other three. Mother Slime was draining the deer corpse of blood, probably trying to mimic what he did. But she didn't have his puddle-like nature to really push herself into the corpse. "Remember to save some of the meat, Mother. That's a big animal to eat." He said as he started to strip the muscles and meat from the skull. Trying to control the muscle fibers was clearly inefficient.

Adhering himself to the skull via Cling I would work. He knew exactly how to control his body, no guesswork on which muscle did what. While he moved about with the skull, making the jaw clatter a little as he did. Huffing audibly he detached the jaw and split it with a slash from a sharp pseudopod with at the tip of the bone. Given the nature of the deer teeth it could be used as a bludgeoning weapon. He could use it to enhance his own damage like Mother Slime had with the bone shards.

"We'll head back deeper into the woods in a bit. Plant fiber, more plentiful food, and other materials will be useful." He said as he checked the stones he held within himself. He took the one with the narrowest point and tried to use them to bore into the underside of one of the jawbones. Meanwhile he started to work on grinding the others together to sharpen them. Trying to give them an edge while using himself as the liquid.

@Guy0fV4lor@Zeroth

You have no MP remaining.

Despite expecting that to happen Danny once again realized that as long as Meditate was his only way to recover it he couldn't rely solely on MP. Since he was in battle at the moment he had no way to recharge but luckily the Frog seemed to have reached its limit as it dropped over dead, no doubt thanks to Jason.

Not wanting to waste his chance the Poltergeist Meditated immediately after the battle was over. As soon as his MP was full he decided to try out his new skill and finally find out if his theory was correct. With Mana Vision I active he looked around for his invisible partner. Whether that worked or not he also wanted to know if the Frog was edible given how hungry he was and used Monster Analysis II on it's corpse.

Despite his hunger and thirst he knew he had work to do and returned his attention to the beetle. He doubted he could make a full armor but it would be better than nothing. He decided to wait before starting on the exoskeleton and get some practice in with the flesh in the underbelly. Using his Sharp Stone he began to carefully remove the flesh, constantly on the lookout for where the flame sac as he didn't want to puncture it and using Lesser Force II where necessary.